Motor vehicles are being shipped in closed containerized trailers or vehicles on land and aboard ship. Various vehicle supporting ramps and securing harnesses over the wheels are secured in some manner to maintain the vehicles against displacement laterally and longitudinally. Usually the container unit for housing the vehicle is provided with a wood base suitable for driving a nail into the floor or container platform without damaging the container.
Since the trans-shipment of vehicles and other commodities are in volume, the holding devices employed are expendable and must be of low unit cost otherwise the cost of installation would be prohibitive.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a cargo restraining device in the form of a metal plate that may be secured to the floor of a container through which a strap may be threaded readily and tightened before securing the strap in position after it has enveloped an object such as a vehicle wheel in position.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a readily removable or demountable fixture having a strap tightening ratchet means that may be positioned on a tension plate secured in position for tightening a strap threaded through the tension plate for tightening the strap in position during strap securement in the tension plate to the deck or platform of the container after which the fixture may be removed and reused for another installation.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide mating strap tensioning plate and a strap tightening ratchet means fixture for tightening a strap or other flexible member in position before securely fastening the strap or flexible member by means of fastening means in a tightened position and removal of the strap tightening ratchet means fixture from the tension plate.
Other objectives and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the handling of cargo taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, specifications and claims in which variations and equivalents are contemplated.